{"id":644947,"date":"2026-08-01T17:03:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T17:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=644947"},"modified":"2026-08-01T17:03:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T17:03:13","slug":"wnba-star-players-off-the-hook-for-friendly-wager-on-matchup-between-their-teams-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=644947","title":{"rendered":"WNBA star players off the hook for \u2018friendly wager\u2019 on matchup between their teams"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

The Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has declined to punish two players over a \u201cfriendly wager.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to an ESPN report<\/a> published Thursday, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese will not face any penalties after a social media post \u201cshowed the two discussing a friendly wager prior to their teams\u2019 matchup on Wednesday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league\u2019s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,\u201d a WNBA statement reads. \u201cWe recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

The players\u2019 individual teams have not made public comments about the story.<\/p>\n

Article XIV, Section 5(c) of the league\u2019s collective bargaining agreement strictly prohibits betting on games:<\/p>\n

\n

Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition shall, in the sole discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and\/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

X users reacted to the lack of consequences:<\/p>\n

\n

Did yall really think they were going to do anything with their star players? No, @WNBA<\/a> was never going to do that. They just set a precedence. Those two were so casual about it, you know others are doing it too.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Don Winkler (@TheDon43210) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

If they were men, they would be in jail.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

So, pro athletes betting on the games they play in is cool now?<\/p>\n

Pete Rose to the baseball HOF immediately, yes?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tuscany Bay Productions (@TuscanyBayBooks) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

$400 is not a friendly wager. $5 or a steak dinner is a friendly wager!! Not $400. Maybe the gvt should look into this . Illegal gambling<\/p>\n

\u2014 Otis Metcalf (@MetcalfOtis) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

*Bueckers and Reese deliberately violate league rules with video evidence*<\/p>\n

League Office: No suspension.<\/p>\n

*Aussie coach uses Aussie slang that has no racial connotation whatsoever*<\/p>\n

League Office: Suspension and public condemnation for racism<\/p>\n

Absolute embarassment of a league.<\/p>\n

\u2014 JSM (@JSMBurner) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

That\u2019s because they aren\u2019t a real league. They are treated as seriously as they act.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jess Right (@Jess4u) July 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has declined to punish two players over a \u201cfriendly wager.\u201d According to an ESPN report published Thursday, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese will not face any penalties after a social media post \u201cshowed the two discussing a friendly wager prior to their teams\u2019 matchup on Wednesday.\u201d \u201cWhile the social… Continue reading WNBA star players off the hook for \u2018friendly wager\u2019 on matchup between their teams<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":644933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-644947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economic-empowerment","category-national-security","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=644947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/644933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=644947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=644947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=644947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}